top of countries with renewable energy

[Johann Garcia]

Hello doing an investigation for this articles about countries with renewable energy (https://permacultura.co/top-11-de-paises-con-mas-energia-renovable/), I have a doubt and it is if apart from the technological possibilities or the environment. In the end, it is the governments with their economic incentives that ultimately promote the use of this type of energy in a country. What do you think?

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Johann,

Economic incentives help, in particular in established markets with entrenched (and often subsidized) traditional energy providers. However, there are many places on this planet where small-scale renewable energy really took off without subsidies. People in the middle of nowhere that never had electricity want a solar panel and battery, to run a lightbulb in the evening so their kids can study, and to recharge the cell phone etc. It seems that much like with cellphone networks, where countries never install an extensive land-line network, energy is doing the same in remote/underdeveloped places.

Over here, in Canada, renewable energy has become cheap enough to compete on its own with regular electricity. People are still installing net-metering systems even though there are no incentives. People are also more and more installing small off-grid systems for cottages/cabins that never had electricity (or where they would run a generator).

We may have reached the tipping point where renewables are able to stand on their own!

-RoB-

[Joe Blake]

Hi Johann,

In Western Australia, if not the rest of the country*, the local utility has admitted that it's cheaper to install and maintain stand alone solar systems on individual properties than it is to try to supply power via a lengthy grid.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/western-australia-has-waited-far-too-long-for-renewable-energy-85793/

https://westernpower.com.au/our-energy-evolution/grid-technology/alternative-energy-sources/

*For electrical generation and distribution purposes, Australia is split into two with the "eastern states" having their own grid and generation capacity. The Nullarbor Plains is a huge gap to try and cross with high voltage power.